Bumpy ride
Merlin opened her eyes to the sort of day that she dreamed about. It was one of those golden shimmering sunlight and bright blue sky days. She grinned and flipped up from her bed - it was her eighteenth birthday, she felt that she was allowed to be happy today.
The young witch's eyes flashed amber-gold and her boots came flying across the room to her - promptly smacking her in the face. Her grin faltered for only a second before she pulled on the offending items and got dressed in her usual baggy red shirt, breeches and blue neckerchief.
"Morning Gaius!" she smiled at her mentor as he looked up from the potion he was mixing, surprised at her good mood - Merlin wasn't usually a morning person by any standards.
"Good morning, and a happy birthday, Merlin, you'd better hurry, Arthur was looking for you." he told her, as she grabbed a half eaten bread roll from the night before, she rolled her sapphire eyes at him.
"When isn't he looking for me?" Gaius chuckled slightly at that. Merlin closed the door behind her, munching on the roll as she jogged her way up to Arthur's chambers.
She bumped the door open with her hip, having taken the prince's breakfast from a startled looking servant on her way from the kitchens. "Rise and shine!" she called, bustling over to the table, only to freeze when she saw that Arthur was already up and dressed, in full battle gear of all things.
"You're late, Merlin." the prince said as he fastened his sword to the belt at his hip, he was wearing his chain mail and looked uncomfortable doing so - the day was already unseasonably hot.
"What's going on?" she asked, her smile slipping a tiny bit - Arthur awake before midday without her "help" was always a bad sign. If you could call pulling him bodily out of the bed help that is.
"A group of marauders has been ambushing all trading caravans on the road to Camelot." Arthur told her. "We`re going to flush them out, saddle my horse and pack some supplies, we`re leaving within the hour." With her bright mood only slightly dampened by the thought of a long ride with all of those boisterous knights, Merlin did as she was told. The young witch met Arthur nearly an hour later, overloaded by the two heavy packs on her back at the stables. As Arthur got onto his horse, Merlin tripped over thin air (as usual) and was sent flying forwards, nearly dropping the heavy packs to the ground - luckily Sir Leon darted forwards at the last moment to come to rescue.
He gripped Merlin by the shoulders for a moment after steadying her, she blushed and looked down awkwardly at her clumsy feet, readjusting the packs on her shoulder. "Are you alright, milady?" Leon asked, smiling at her embarrassment, at the use of her nickname that only the knights used, Leon more than anyone else.
"I told you not to call me that." Merlin jumped hurriedly back as Arthur shouted at her, looking decidedly irritable.
"Merlin, we were planning to leave before midday, if you're finished flirting!" Merlin flushed a bright scarlet and flicked her dark fringe out of her face, mock glaring over at the irritable prince.
"Coming your royal pratliness!" she yelled back, illustrating it with a mocking bow and hurried away from Leon, who too was grinning, to mount her own horse
All of the knights mounted their steeds and the group of ten knights, Merlin and the Prince all rode out of the gates. As they rode into the forest, Merlin let her grin stretch across her features - it may be a bumpy ride, but at least she could have some fun, teasing the knights while they rode. It was her high spirits that made her ignore the nagging feeling that something was wrong. She would regret that later, but for now she wanted to enjoy herself - she was with friends and it was her birthday - Merlin thought that she deserved a little fun for once.